When God rebukes and disciplines..

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke because the lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in.     Proverbs 3:11,12

Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law.    Psalms 94:12

These verses shows that our God do rebuke  and discipline his faithful and loved ones. Like a parent He overlooks our every steps and choices. If He is pleased He rewards or else He tries to bring us in the right way by putting us through different and difficult situations. But in these hard times too, God shows his love and grace.  

Adam and Eve sinned against God by eating the fruit of Knowledge. God rebuked the serpent (the tempter) and both Adam and Eve. Also He banished them from The garden of Eden but even then He cared for them and made garments of skin for them. We make so many bad choices in our life that ultimately exposes our nudity. But that merciful God tries to cover us up. He would not let others point out to our filthiness. When Joshua the high priest was standing before God, satan pointed out his filthiness. (Zechariah 3:3) The father of lies was telling the truth, Joshua was wearing filthy clothes but just for a time being because God is there to cover him with rich garments and clean turban. 

Moses was told to speak to the rock but he struck the rock thus disobeying and dishonouring God. The man with the shining face was denied to enter the promised land as a result of his careless action. The man who took all the hardships just to bring Israel out of Egypt. The man who concieved and gave birth to Israel (in a way), who carried Israel in his arms like a nurse carrying an infant, was denied to enter the promised land. But the merciful God did show him the promised land from a distance. Even when He rebukes, He shows mercy and never deny justice.

So Gad went to David and said to him,  “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your choice  three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you or three days of the Lord— days of plague in the land with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”                   David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.  1 Chronicles 21:11,13

David’s a lucky man as he was offered three options with which God decided to discipline him. It’s like a teacher asking her students ” What punishment should I give to dicipline you – detention, imposition or suspension?” But David, a man after God’s own heart chooses his punishment. Even in his punishment he is trying to please God. He wants to fall in the hands of God and the reason he gives for his choice is that God’s mercy is very great.  Hey David! Were you not the one who fasted and spent the nights on the ground crying for the healing of your child. When David committed adultery, God took the life of the child born to David and Bathsheba. (2 Samuel 12:14). Did God show mercy at that time. No. His dreadful past experience with God won’t change his perception towards God. That’s why David is called the man after God’s own heart. Even in His rebukes David  tries to please God and pray for His mercy. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back I will not be pleased with him.   Hebrews10:38

Israel always went away from God and God would hand them over to another nation. They would harass and torture them, and Israel would cry to God. Then God used to raise a man (a judge)  to rescue them. After the death of these judges, Israel would again sin against God and the cycle would continue.

God gave Israel into the hands of their enemies maximum for twenty years by that time Israel would cry out to God. But when God delivered them into the hands of  Philistines. They never cried or repented instead they were adjusting with the situation (hence it took forty years to get delivered). Then God had to bring a nazrite Samson so that he just begins the process of deliverence (Judges 13:5). His Job was just to ignite a spark in the relationship of Israel and Philistines. Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cave in the rock of Etam and said to Samson, ” Don’t you realise that the Philistines are ruler over us?  What have you done to us?” These words show how comfortable they were with their punishments. Their father used to cry to God and looked to overthrow their enemy but here they are comfortable on uncircumcised ruling over them. 

Hence, repent and pray to God when God rebukes and disciplines you. Our God is a merciful God,  He disciplines us because He loves us. For only the disciplined ones get into the QUIVER OF GOD.